Stamp dispenser



Aug. 12, 1958 Filed Aug. 30, 1955 S. R. JOHNSON STAMP DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 12, 1958 s. R. JoHNsoN '2,847,113

STAMP DISPENSER Filed Aug. so, 1955 v 2 sheets-sheet 2 United States Patent Oice 2,847,118 Patented Aug. 1,2, 1953 asimila STAB/[P DISPENSER Stanley R. Johnson, La Grange, lll.

Application August 30, 1955, Serial No. 531,496

` Claims. (Cl. 20d- 39) This invention relates to` a dispenser and more par ticularly to a dispenser for stamps and similar thin consumable articles which are adapted to be folded in accordion fashion.

Postage stamps, while being an important consumer item used by many individuals, are still distributed and stored in comparatively primitive ways. The cigar box in the corner drug store is still an often used expedient. Purchases from the post office are of full sheets, or parts of sheets of stamps. More recently, stamp vending machines have become popular because of their convenience and improved sanitation over the aforementioned dis tributing methods. Stamps dispensed from vendingmachines are either cut from long expensive rolls of stamps, or are pre-cut and folded in quantities of three or four stamps into small packages.

There is, however, no really practical Way for stamp usersto carry stamps around with them. If the user is a man, the stamp often is carried in a pocket and may become dirty and crumpled and thoroughly unappetizing to use. If the user is a Woman, the stamp may become lost in the crevices of, or among the myriads of articles carried in, the womans purse. A further hazard, to stamps carried on the person, particularly in humid weather, is the activation of the adhesive on the stamps by the moist atmospheric condition, resulting in spoilage of the stamps.

One object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive stamp dispenser which may be easily carried by the stamp user in his pocket or purse while avoiding the diiculties above set forth.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel stamp dispenser which provides storage space therein for a substantial quantity of stamps folded in accordion fashion, with means being provided for automatically unfolding the stamps and feeding them in single iile from the dispenser as they are consumed.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel stamp dispenser for use with accordion-folded supply of stamps, which dispenser is arranged to provide storage space for two different denominations of stamps and to permit selective feeding and consumption of either of the twotypes of stamps, as desired.

Further objects and advantages of this invention Will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the novel stamp dispenser with les of stamps issuing from the sides thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; Y

Figure 3 is a cross section view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an exploded side elevation view showing the cap and base construction of the dispenser;

Figure 5 is an exploded end elevation view of the stamp dispenser;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of stamp dispenser;

Figure 7 is a cross section view taken on line 77 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a plan view, with portions broken away, of still another form of stamp dispenser;

Figure 9 is a cross section view taken on line 9-9 of Figure 8; and

Figure l0 lis an enlarged fragmentary'oross section view taken on line 10-10 of Figure 8.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown the novel stamp dispenser which is formed preferably of a transparent plastic molded material. The stamp dispenser generally indicated at 10 includes a separable base 12 and a cap 14. When, assembled, as shown in the drawings, the stamp dispenser provides a body member which defines therein a pair of storage compartments 16 and 18, each compartment being adapted to hold therein a supply of stamps 2G which are folded in accordion fashion, as shown. The body member of the stamp dispenser also denes a pair of elongated alignment passageways 22 and 24 which are associated respectively with the storage compartments i6 and 13. In particular, the body member of stamp dispenser 10 defines elements which include a bottom 26, top 28, elongated lateral outer walls 30 and 32, end walls 34 and 36, inner walls 38 and 40, and a transverse inner wall 42.

The stamp dispenser shown actually defines a pair of dispensing sections which are arranged inback to back relation, and provides for dispensing of two denominations of stamps from a single container. The following detailed description of one-half of the dispenser will serve to `describe the entire construction.

The lateral outer wall 3l) extends substantially the entire length of the body member and merges `at one end into the end wall 34, while the extended end of said outer wall 30 terminates slightly short of the other end wall 36. Although shown slightly convex, the outer wall 30 extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the dispenser body. The inner walls 3S and 40, are preferably, of a length shorter than one-half of the overall length of the dispenser body. The. outermost ends of the inner walls 38 and l0 merge respectively into the end walls 34 and 36. The inner walls 38 and 40 extend parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis of the dispenser body, and a-re spaced on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the dispenser body. The inner wall 38 is disposed closer to outer wall 3.2, and with inner wall 40 is disposed closer to outer wall 30, as shown, for reasons that will become apparent as this description proceeds.

The innermost ends of the inner walls 38 and 40 are interconnected by transverse inner wall 42 which is disposed so as to pass through the geometrical center of the dispenser body. Transverse inner wall 42 is disposed and arranged so as to meet inner walls 3S and 40, and form included angles therewith in the range of about At the juncture of the transverse wall 42 with` inner walls 33 and 40 there are formed bulbous enlargements 44 and 46 which serve a number of purposes. One purpose of the bulbous enlargements 44 and 46 is to serve as constricters of the passageways 22 and 24, at their junctures with the storage compartments 16 and 1S, through which the single le of stamps is drawn. Another purpose of the bulbous enlargements is to cooperate with the supply of accordion folded stamps in the storage compartments 16V and.18 to prevent the entire folded Supply of stamps from lenteringthe. passageways 22 and 24 as a single file of the through. A third purpose of the bulbous enlargements 44 and 46 is to serve as a reinforcement of the junctures between the transverse wall 42 and the inner walls 38 and The extended end of the outer wall 30 is apertured at 48 to provide an access opening to the single file of stamps which extends through passageway 22. It isV through aperture 4S that engagement may be made either by means of an instrument, or by the finger of a person, with the.

single file of stamps, for the purpose of advancing the stamps as they are consumed.

The inner wall 38 cooperates with end wall 34, transverse inner wall 42, and outer wall 30, to define the storage compartment 16 in which the accordion-folded articles, such as stamps, are adapted to be stored. The width of the storage compartment-that is the spacing between the inner wall 38 and outer wall 30-is relatively large and is of sufficient magnitude to receive therein the accordion-folded articles disposed transverse to the line along which they advance in single file through the passageway 22. l

The inner wall 40 cooperates with the outer wall 30, and with the aperture 48 therein, to define both the relatively narrow passageway 22 therebetween through which the articles `being dispensed are caused to pass in single file, and also to form a feeding and dispensing means, in communication with said passageway 22, for feeding the stamps from the container. The feeding and dispensing means includes the portion of wall 40 opposite the aperture 48, said portion of the wall 40 serving as a support for the single file of articles passing thereover. The aperture 48 permits a person to engage the single file of stamps between his finger and said supporting portion of wall 40 to provide for advancing the stamps in single file as they are consumed.

In the particular construction disclosed the base member is provided with a pairof upstanding end flanges 50 and a pair of upstanding side flanges 52 which are molded integrally with the base member 12. Cap 14 is adapted to t snugly down over the anges 50 and 52, said flanges being operative to keep the cap 14 centered on the base 12, andsaid iianges also serving to frictionally engage the cap 14 to retain said cap on said base in assembled condition.

Both the cap 14 and l.base 12 are appropriately molded so that, when assembled, the dispenser defines the elements and parts hereinabove described. Thus, some of the elements may be molded into the base and other parts into the cap, as desired. For example, aperture 48 is defined by appropriate molded cooperating portions of both the cap 14 and base 12.

The use of a cap and base arrangement permits the separation of said members so that a new supply of accordion-folded stamps may be easily inserted into each of the storage chambers or compartments 16 and 18 with one end of each accordion-folded strip unfolded and threaded through the alignment passageways 22 and 24 in position to permit of dispensing of the stamps from the container.

ln the modified form of dispenser shown in Figures 6 and 7, the stamp dispenser is generally indicated at 60 and includes a body portion, or body member, 62 of generally rectangular shape, a pair of spaced outerlateral walls 64, spaced upper and lower walls 66, spaced end walls 68, inner walls 70, and a transverse inner wall 72 which interconnects the spaced terminal ends of the inner walls 70.

The arrangement of parts defines storage compartments 74 for stamps 76, and relatively narrow passageways 78 through which the stamps 76 are adapted to pass in single le from the storage compartment 74. Each outer vwall is provided with an aperture 80 thereinV to provide access to the single file of stamps in the passageway 78.

The width of passageway 78, as shown in Figure7;A is just stamps is being drawn there- 4 sufficient to accommodate the passage therethough of a single thickness of stamps, thereby providing that the accordion-folded stamps 76 within storage compartment 74 must unfold into single le as the stamps are withdrawn from the dispenser as they are consumed.

The spaced outer walls 64 are hingedly mounted on pins 82 which are carried by portions of the lower and upper walls 66 which bound the storage compartments 74. Each outer wall 64 carries thereon a plurality of flanges 84 which are adapted to frictionally engage other portions of the body member 62, in this instance portions of walls 66, to frictionally retain the hinged outer walls 64 in their closed condition, which is shown in full lines in Figure 7. When a hinged wall 64 is swung to its open condition, as shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 7, there is provided access to the storage compartments 74, whereby the dispenser may be reloaded with stamps after the supply therein has been exhausted.

In the form of dispenser shown in Figures 8 to l0, the dispenser is generally indicated at and includes a body member 92 and a cap member 94 fitted thereon. The body member is recessed to provide an elongated storage -cham'ber 96 for receiving therein a supply of accordion-folded articles such as stamps.

An elongated passageway 98 communicates with compartment 96, through which passageway the stamps are adapted to be dispensed in single file from the continuous strip of stamps. As shown in the instant device the single file of stamps being advanced from the accordion-folded supply thereof is of a width greater than that of a single stamp. In the instant example the width is equivalent to five three-cent stamps.

The body 92 defines an inner wall, or wall surface, 100 over which the single file of advancing stamps are adapted to pass. The dispenser is provided with an outer wall 102 having apertures 104 formed therein through which engagement may be had with the file of stamps being advanced, to provide for advancing the stamps. In the instant device the file of stamps is adapted to be advanced a single length of stamps at a time, although provision may be made for advancing any desired length. of the stamp file.

The stamp dispenser carries thereon a severing means for severing from said continuous strip of stamps a selected portion of the file that has been advanced through said dispensing means. After the single length of stamps has been advanced, as shown in Figure 9, the advanced portion is severed from the continuous strip. The severing means includes a severing blade 106 carried at its ends by reciprocable pins 108 that are normally biased to an upper inoperative position, as shown in Figure l0, by springs 110. Slot means 112 are provided in body 92 to accommodate movement of the blade 106 in its severing operation.

After a single length of stamps of a five-stamp Width has been severed, said severed length lies disposed in a relatively shallow secondary compartment 114 which is adapted to receive said severed portion in fiat condition. The body 92 and cap 94 define lower and upper boundaries of said secondary compartment 114, and severing blade 106 lies along one lateral boundary of compartment 114.

The cap 94 is apertured at 116 to provide access to the `severed strip of five stamps which lies in secondary compartment 114 and permits dispensing of the stamps singly from compartment 114 `in a direction transverse to the direction in which the le moves from said first storage compartment 96 toward said severing blade 106.

While there has been shown and described particular embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein Without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. A dispenser for stamps and similar thin articles which are adapted to be folded in accordion fashion, said dispenser comprising an elongated body member having a pair of spaced outer lateral Walls which run substantially the entire length of said body member, a pair of elongated inner walls having spaced terminal ends, a transverse inner wall interconnecting said spaced terminal ends of said inner walls, each inner wall being arranged relative to said pair of outer walls so as to form between said inner wall and one of said outer Walls a storage compartment of relatively large width adapted to receive and store therein a supply of said accordionfolded articles, and to form between said inner wall and the other of said outer walls a passageway of relatively narrow width adapted to have articles pass therethrough unfolded and in single file, each said passageway, which is defined in part by one inner wall, communicating with the storage compartment defined in part by the other inner wall, and said pair of passageways extending from said storage compartments in opposite directions.

2. A dispenser for stamps and similar thin articles which are adapted to `be folded in accordion fashion, said dispenser comprising an elongated body member having a pair of spaced outer lateral walls which run substantially the entire length of said body member, a pair of elongated inner walls having spaced terminal ends, a transverse inner wall interconnecting said spaced terminal ends of said spaced inner walls, each inner wall being arranged relative to said pair of outer walls so as to form between said inner wall and one of said outer walls a storage compartment of relatively large width adapted to receive and store therein a supply of said accordion-folded articles, and to form between said inner wall and the other of said outer walls a passageway of relatively narrow width adapted to have articles pass therethrough unfolded and in single file, each said passageway, which is dened in part by one inner wall, communicating with the storage compartment defined in part by the other inner wall, and each outer wall defining therein an aperture opposite the closest adjacent inner wall, through which aperture may be had engagement with a strip of i row width adapted to have articles pass therethrough unfolded and in single file, each said passageway, which is defined in part by one inner wall, communicating with the storage compartment defined in part by the other linner wall, said elongated body member comprising a unfolded articles, passing through said passageway, for

advancing said articles as they are consumed.

3. A dispenser for stamps and similar thin articles which are adapted to be folded in accordion fashion, said dispenser comprising an elongated body member having a pair of spaced outer lateral Walls which run substantially the entire length of said body member, a pair of elongated inner walls having spaced terminal ends, a transverse inner wall interconnecting said spaced terminal ends of said spaced inner walls, each inner wall being arranged relative to said pair of outer walls so as to form between said inner wall and one of said outer walls a storage compartment of relatively large width adapted to receive and store therein a supply of said accordion-folded articles, and to form between said inner wall and the other of said outer walls a passageway of relatively narrow width adapted to have articles pass therethrough unfolded and in single le, each said passageway, which is defined in part by one inner wall, communicating with the storage compartment defined in part by the other inner wall, and said transverse inner wall forming with each inner wall an included angle in the range of 120.

4. A dispenser for stamps and similar thin articles which are adapted to be folded in accordion fashion, said dispenser comprising an `elongated body member having a pair of spaced outer lateral walls which run substantially the entire length of said body member, a pair of elongated inner walls having spaced terminal ends, a transverse inner wall interconnecting said spaced terminal ends of said spaced inner walls, each inner wall being arranged relative to said pair of outer walls so as to form between said inner wall and one of said outer walls a base portion closed at its bottom and open at its top, and a cap portion fitting removably onto said base portion and closing the top of said body member, and telescopic elements on said base and cap for aligning said base and cap and for providing frictional retentional engagement between said base and cap.

5. A dispenser for stamps and similar thin articles which are adapted to be folded in accordion fashion, said dispenser comprising an elongated body member having a pair of spaced outer lateral walls which run substantially the entire length of said body member, a pair of elongated inner walls having spaced terminal ends, a transverse inner wall interconnecting said spaced terminal ends of said spaced inner walls, each inner wall being arranged relative to said pair of outer walls so as to form between said inner wall and one of said outer walls a storage compartment of relatively large width adapted to receive and store therein a supply of said accordionfolded articles, and to form between said inner wall and the other of said outer walls a passageway of relatively narrow width adapted to have articles pass therethrough unfolded and in single file, each said passageway, which is defined -in part by one inner wall, communicating with the storage compartment defined in part by the other inner wall, each outer wall defining therein an aperture opposite the closest adjacent inner wall, through which aperture may be had engagement with a strip of unfolded articles, passing through said passageway, for advancing said articles as they are consumed, and means formmg a constriction in said passageway, at the juncture of said passageway and said storage compartment, being operative to assist in effecting the unfolding of said accordionfolded articles into a single file strip of said articles.

6. A dispenser for stamps and similar thin articles which are adapted to be folded in accordion fash1on, said dispenser comprising an elongated body member having a pair of spaced outer lateral walls which run sub* stantially the entire length of said body member, a pair of elongated inner walls having spaced terminal ends, a transverse inner wall interconnecting said spaced terminal ends of said inner walls, each inner wall being arranged relative to said pair of outer walls so as to form between said inner wall and one of said o-uter walls a storage compartment of relatively large width adapted to receive and store therein a supply ofpsaid accordionfolded articles, and to form between said inner wall and the other of said outer walls a passageway of relatively narrow width adapted to have articles pass therethrough unfolded and in single file, each said passageway, which is defined in part by one inner wall, communicating with the storage compartment defined in part by the other inner wall, said pair of passageways extending from said storage compartments in opposite directions, and said pair of outer walls being hingedly mounted on said body member to afford access to the Storage compartments formed in said body member.

7, A dispenser for stamps and similar thin articles which are adapted to be folded in accordion fashion, said dispenser comprising an elongated body member having a pair of spaced outer lateral walls which run substan tially the entire length of said body member, a pair of elongated inner walls having spaced terminal ends, a transverse inner wall interconnecting said spaced terminal ends of said inner walls, each inner wall being arranged relative to said pair of outer walls so as t0 form between said inner wall and one of said outer walls a storage compartment of relatively large width adapted to receive and store therein a supply of said accordionfolded articles, and to form between said inner wall and the other of said outer walls a passageway of relatively narrow width adapted to have articles pass therethrough unfolded and in single file, each said passageway, which is defined in part by one inner wall, communicating with the storage compartment defined in part by the other inner wall, said pair of passageways extending from said storage compartments in opposite directions, said pair of outer walls being hingedly mounted on said body member to afford access to the storage compartments formed in said body member, and frictional retention means carried by said hinged outer walls and being frictionally cngageable with said body member to provide for retaining said hinged outer walls in closed condition.

8. A dispenser for stamps and similar thin articles which are arranged in a continuous strip adapted to be folded in accordion fashion, said dispenser comprising a body member defining a storage compartment in which the accordion-folded articles are adapted to be stored, an elongated alignment passageway communicating with said storage compartment and through which said continuous strip of thin articles are adapted to pass in single file, feeding and dispensing means in communication with said passageway and adapted to receive the thin articles in single file from said passageway, and affording engagement of the articles passing through said passageway, said feeding and dispensing means including a support wall on said body member, for supporting the single file of articles passing thereover, and means defining an aperture opposite said support wall through which may be had engagement of said single file of articles, for advancing said single le of articles as they are consumed, and severing means carried by said body member for severing7 from Said continuous strip, a selected portion of the le of articles that has been advanced through said dispensing means.

9. A dispenser for stamps and similar thin articles which are arranged in a continuous strip adapted to be folded in accordion fashion, said dispenser comprising a body member defining a storage compartment in which the accordion-folded articles are adapte-d to be stored, an elongated alignment passageway communicating with said storage compartment and through which said continuous strip of thin articles are adapted to pass in single file, feeding and dispensing means in communication with said passageway and adapted to receive the thin articles in single tile from said passageway, and affording engagement of the articles passing through said passageway, said feeding and dispensing means including a support wall on said body member, for supporting the single le of articles passing thereover, and means detining an aperture opposite said support wall through which may be had engagement of said single le of articles, for advancing said single tile of articles as they are consumed, severing means carried by said body member for severing, from said continuous strip, a selected portion of -the file of articles that has been advanced through said dispensing means, and lateral dispensing means for dispensing said severed selected portion of the file of' articles, as they are consumed, in a direction transverse to the direction in which the tile moves from said storage compartment toward said severing means.

10, A dispenser for stamps and similar thin articles which are arranged in a continuous strip adapted to be folded in accordion fashion, said dispenser comprising a body member defining a storage compartment in which the accordion-folded articles are adapted to be stored, an elongated alignment passageway communicating with said storage compartment and through which said continuous strip of thin articles are adapted to pass in single le, feeding and dispensing means in communication with said passageway and adapted to receive the thin articles in single file from said passageway, and affording engagement of the articles passing through said passageway, said feeding and dispensing means including a support wall on said body member, for supporting the single file of articles passing thereover, and means defining an aperture opposite said support wall through which may be had engagement of said single le of articles, for advancing said single le of articles as they are consumed, severing means carried by said body member for severing, from said continuous strip, a selected portion of the file of articles that has been advanced through said dispensing means, means defining a secondary storage compartment for receiving therein said severed selected portion of the le of articles in fiat condition, and late-ral dispensing means for dispensing said severed portion of the le of articles, as they are consumed, in a direction transverse to the direction in which the file moves from said storage compartment toward said severing means.

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